China tests satellite killer technology

It seems that China has become the newest member of an exclusive club of only two countries with Satellite Killers with it's use of a kinetic energy weapon to smash one of their own ageing satellites into 40,000 pieces on January 11th.

The USA, Australia and Canada have expressed their concerns to the Chinese government and are expected to be joined by Britain, South Korea and Japan with similar calls to desist.


Not since September 1985 when the USA performed it's last test during the 'Star Wars' era has any such operation taken place with the worry that destroying satellites in this manner could result in potentially dangerous space debris harming other satellites in orbit.


This might be seen as a legitimate flexing of Chinese muscles in their technological expansion but is seen in a somewhat different light by other nations and the USA in particular.


The US have stated that they will deny access to space by nations who might threaten their satellites, military and civil and have made a policy statement as recently as last month underlining this.




Now, does the USA have the right to complain about another country doing the same as themselves when they have continued to develop such weaponry or should the Chinese or anyone else have the right to exercise their military power in proving they have the technological capability to compete with America ?

Either way, it looks like engineers can rejoice in the knowledge that another space/arms race in on the cards and could go some way to repairing the damage caused by the so called peace dividend in terms of research and jobs.

Thoughts ? Opinions anyone ?

In other words - an impressive kinetic energy weapon multiplier. Just don't go into orbit the wrong way round.


Ah, yes, those were the days - people falling over themselves to get lucrative DOE Star Wars contracts. Mind you, these were mainly for space-based ICBM killers (nuclear-triggered x-ray lasers, 'bright pebble' launchers and the like). Completely unsporting using a measly ground-based missile, I reckon.

I blame it on Bush. His undiplomatic tough talking rhetoric is simply undoing years and years of work put forth by Administrations from both sides of the political divide.

The Chinese should use that technology to burn Bush's Ranch in texas, while he is sitting on his patio watching the Iraq mess on TV.

I've been receiving spam emails the last 24 hours that carry the subject line, "Chinese missile shot down USA satellite". Seems the spammers are using news headlines nowadays. I must admit, it caught my eye. More so than the usual "Buy your Cialis online here!!!".

That's funny, my spam mail all had 'Russian missile shot down US Satellite' as a title this morning.

I'm sure you thought that was ust incerdibly clever, Aschaffenburgboy. Go back to the playground withthe other children and leave the adults to have their discussinos.

This was about the stupidest thing China could have done, from a number of perspectives.

First, they could have demonstrated their weapons and destruction capabilities with a high-flying drone within the edge of the atmosphere. This would'ev prevented making a huge fucking mess in a geostationary orbital area. Who the fuck is gonig to clean up that debris?

Second, they could have proven their range to the satellite orbit by using a non-destuctive laser to tag and track their own satellite or even, if they wanted to tweak the US a little like they did with their submarine, blinded a US weather satellite briefly, claiming they meant to target their own, so very sorry.

This was an open declaration of an arms race. Despite being in the position to damage the US economically by dumping T-bills, it won't do as much as the Chinese think. The US has never allowed massive inflation in order to pay off debt, and due the strength and position of the euro, couldn't even if it was willing to. The Chinese don't realise just how pig-headed Americans are. We out-spent Russia and we can outspend the Chinese as well. Their economy is shaky, their production levels dismal, their efficiency anything but efficient. In order to increase outputs by 1 unit they need to throw five units in. That's totally unsustainable.

Furthermore, the Chinese may be very good at using existing technologies that they purchase or steal, but they suck when it comes to innovation. Creativity is neither a part of the Chinese mindset nor is too much allowed by any one person due to the government's insistence on controlling everything in a very Leninist way.

China had no need to do this. The US hasn't been flexing any muscle in the Pacific, nor has Taiwan been of great interest. Surprisingly, the US has been pretty good (despite the curernt regime) at keeping its nose out of Asia leaving China to deal with politics there, especially in the case of North Korea. It can't be about Taiwan: the US dumped them in favour of detente with China back in the 1970s. The Chinese and Americans both know that the US isn't going to do anything when China finally asserts its domain over Taiwan; and it's in China's best interests that Taiwan's economy continue its current course. America has told Taiwan for years that it will not play protector for the island.

In short, this was a grave and truly stupid move on China's part.

woof.

Respect for the environment doesn't seem to be a high priority for China, either down here or up there. Stupid, because it messes up space for themselves as well as for everybody else.


I've had all of these:


And if that isn't enough, that crappy little tabloid-masquerading-as-intellectual newspaper "Welt Kompakt" (which I only buy occasionally because of my Sudoku addiction) carried a small item on this last Friday, which some idiot in the editorial department had provided with the heading:


Sounds like WW III is already well underway!

EDIT: On second thoughts, not really something to laugh about.